''We don’t do anything to rename the post of president''

At the press conference, Farid Mukhametshin recognised he would wish at New Year night good elections. The next three years are expected to be complicated from a political perspective – it's both the election of the republic's State Council deputies, then the election of the president of the republic and the election of the 8 th session State Duma deputies. Realnoe Vremya tells how this year looked like and what the Tatarstan speaker expected in the future.

Three-pronged bond

The 2018 year was 10 sessions, 99 adopted laws, the discussion of 350 issues on the agenda for the Tatarstan State Council. And it's just some numbers. The simplification of terms of use of minerals for roadworks, putting in order payments made when the first child is born or adopted and reduction in the tax load for PSEDA residents are among the achievements of the parliamentarians the State Council chairman mentioned separately.

''I wouldn't say all is fine. We will achieve this unity further on – an authoritative president, a strong parliament, an effective government. We can achieve goals and fulfil programmes the president sets in his annual address only together,'' Farid Mukhametshin is sure.

He called the next three years a new cycle. Not only WorldSkills but also the election campaign of the State Council of the sixth session awaits the republic in 2019. The republic's presidential election and election of municipal authorities will be in 2020. ''It's an exam for a big number of power structures,'' Mukhametshin is sure. The election of deputies to the Russian State Duma of the eighth session will be in 2021.

Some changes can be made earlier. For instance, Farid Mukhametshin is going to turn to the government of the republic asking to create a budget document that's more understandable to the population.

Our rating has fallen less than in Russia on average. There is an understanding that it's not the fault of our party members that the federal centre made big decisions

Interaction with federal centre

The topic of mother tongue classes was raised only once. ''A preventive job with the federal centre is done. For instance, we worked on the topic of the mother tongue and official language, issues of the pension reform,'' Mukhametshin noted. As for pension changes, the speaker expressed his hope all was done not to worsen the situation, to avoid a collapse in the future.

Some initiatives of the republic went to the government of Russia with prior support of the Federation Council. It should be reminded that Rustam Minnikhanov and Farid Mukhametshin delivered a speech at the session of the Federation Council during Russian Federation Region's Hour in the middle of December. Some offers were sent to federal officials at the same time.

''For example, our offers on modernisation of the Zainsk Hydroelectric Power Plant went to the government. We raised the issue of the High-Speed Railway in the same project, we would like to see it in Kazan, the issue is widely discussed,'' Mukhametshin said. ''Although the road is very costly, we can't help but call it a technical revolution.''

Many people were interested in the fall in the confidence of the population in United Russia party. Mukhametshin urged not to be dramatic and separately praised the regional office of the party.

''Our rating has fallen less than in Russia on average. There is an understanding that it's not the fault of our party members that the federal centre made big decisions. And the pension reform is a forced measure that the federal government had to take. Everything will be done to restore the confidence in the party,'' Farid Mukhametshin went back to the topic of pensioners.

By the way, such simple topics as price growth affected even the regional State Council, which had to ''a bit'' increase the total sum of the electoral fund. ''Our electoral fund was 30m rubles. Ulyanovsk Oblast has 80m, Orenburg does 100m. We have to raise the bar amid growing prices, election campaigns become more expensive. Of course, nobody says it must be 100m, but we increased the electoral fund a bit,'' the Tatarstan State Council chairman complained.

We don't do anything to rename the post of president. There is a federal law, there is Russian Constitution, there is Tatarstan Constitution. I don't think these issues will be raised in Tatarstan

Nothing is done to rename the post of president

In answer to the question if Farid Mukhametshin was going to join the new election campaign in 2019, he also replied with a question: ''What do you think?''

''I haven't made a decision, to be honest. Though all my colleagues say gathering only the youth in the parliament we will have a parliament without continuity. We need people with a rich life experience who learnt something. If we manage to get such a parliament, I will make a decision,'' the Tatarstan State Council chairman replied.

By the way, the legislative body didn't work to rename the post of the Tatarstan president.

''We don't do anything to rename the post of president. There is a federal law, there is Russian Constitution, there is Tatarstan Constitution. I don't think these issues will be raised in Tatarstan. We have the right to defend our position. The Constitution of Russia and Tatarstan say this is decided by the people who are on a territory. We decided it. The application of the federal law can expire. I think the parliament keeps the right to turn to the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation to examine acting norms of the Constitution of the country in this respect if somebody raises this issue,'' Mukhametshin commented.

Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin has recently offered Vladimir Putin to analyse the current Constitution of the country, its compliance with modern-day requests.

''The Constitution has been serving the people for 25 years. Constitutions work for 12,5 years on average without changes, it's a world practice. Our Constitution adopted one year before the federal one showed its viability, it's written with an outlook to the future, it meets the needs of the multi-ethnic republic. Partial regulation (of the Russian Constitution) might be needed, but to touch the Constitution that united the Russian Federation in the uneasy conditions, in general… Do you remember that time? The Soviet Union dissolved, Russia didn't have its own Constitution,'' Mukhametshin expressed his opinion.

''We will sit under the New Year tree, open champagne. We will anyway close our eyes thinking 'The elections will be good, God willing''

Concluding the press conference, the Tatarstan State Council chairman switched to the topic of New Year, congratulated on the upcoming holiday and didn't forget about work: ''We will sit under the New Year tree, open champagne. We will anyway close our eyes thinking 'The elections will be good, God willing.''